If we pa.ss to the organisation of the com- munity, again. It is quite unlike the conception which we should expect from a Gi^ntile Christian iif forty or fifty years later. It is perfectly true that stress is laid on the unity of the primitive community, and it may be tliat this is exaggerated with a purpose ; but no object could be gained by the representation which is given of its form aii<l character. There is no trace of any later organisation, nor mention of presbyters. The Christians have. In fact, not yet been cast out of the synagogues. They are regular in their worship In the temple (Ac 2'"', Lk 24''). They take part In the morning and evening sacrifices. Tliey observe the Jewish hours of prayer. They join in the synagogue wor.ship ((!" i>'^). They are not only conforming Jew.s, they are devout (Ac 212" 22'-). They do not yet realise that they are separate from Judaism. They are but a sect, the sect of
the Nafcopoioi (Ac 24''). One more point may be noticed, the community of goods ; the exact char- acter of this it is unnecessary to discuss here. It is sufficient to point out that no rea-son has been suggested to explain why it should have so much (•mpliasis laid on it, or why it should have been invented if it were not historical.
It has been said that we have little evidence for correcting this. The archieological evidence which we foun<i In ch. 13 f. here fails us. But we have a few indirect hints. The position of the Twelve we may gather from 1 Co !)•' \iy' ; of St. Peter from 1 Co 15% Gal 2^ ; of St. John from Gal 2'-' ; of the brethren of the Lord from 1 Co gs. A certain amount of incidental evidence is given by the Ebionite traditions concerning the position of St. James ; and they correspond with what is suggested by the later parts of tlit; Acts, where we have an account of the .state of afiairs by one who is presumably an eye-witness.
It is clear that the.se early chapters give a picture of the primitive community which is quite different from what existed within the experience of the writer, and which is in itself probable. Is it then likely that this should be the result of the historical imagination of the writer, or is it not more pro- bable that it is historical in character and based on written evidence ? We have no reason to doubt tliat we possess an historical account of the words of the Lord ; and the same witnesses who recorded these, either by tradition or In writing, would be eijually likely to record the speeches and acts of the leading apostle of the infant Church.
6. The Speeches. — One more point under this heading demands investigation, namely, the speeches. Are these genuine records of speeches actually delivered, or were they written by the historian in accordance with the fashion of tho day ? We may notice two points, to begin with. They are all very short, too short to have been delivered as they stand, and for the most part the style in which they are written is that of the historian. They are clearly, therefore, in a sense his own compositions. But the .same can also be said of a considerable intmber of the speeches In the Gospel. We can compare St. Luke's account in this case with that of other authorities, and we find, indeed, a slight modification side by side with general accuracy ; we find the style of the author, but the matter of the authority. On the other hand, there is no rea.son for thinking ("/ priori that the speeches cannot be historical. As has just been jjointed out, the speeches of the leading apo.stles would impre,<is themselves on the growing community, and would be remembered as the words fif the Lord were remembered.
Putting aside a priori C(msiderations, we must as far as possible examine tlie character of the speeches themselves ; and we must first see what light St. Paul's Kpi.stles throw on the suViject. According to 1 Co IG"' the main subjects of St. Paul's preaching were the death and resurrec- tion of Christ, as proved by the Scriptures and as witnessed to by the apostles, an<l other inci<Untal allusions in the Kpistles support this (1 'I'h 1'" 4"). Now, if we turn to St. Paul's .speech at I'isldian .\ntloch addressed to the Jews (l.S'"-"), we find that the writer has exactly realised what was necessary for the situation. 'I'he basis Is scriptural, and till' central fact clearly is, the proof of tlie re.surrei'tlon. Just at the end we have a definitely Pauline tiuich introduced (v.'»). This shows that the writer clearly gr.asps the situation as it is hinted at by the apostle in his own letters, and as was exactly in accordance witli the demand* of the situation ; and this is compatible either with his being a writer using a good soiuve, and re- produi'lMiT accurately a speech which he finds iii
34
ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
that source, or with his being a companion of the apostle, who knows the apostle's preaching well, and gives a typical speech showing the general character of his argument. It is very difficult to conceive of it <as a tour de force of historical imagi- nation. And this argument becomes stronger when it is found that it is applicable to all the speeches in the book. We have already touched i>n those of St. Peter, and have seen how clearly they re- produce an early stage of doctrinal development. Whatever dilticulties there may be in the speech of Steiihen, it certainly does not bear the marks of being a rhetorical composition. The speeches of St. Paul from first to la.st are singularly harmoni- ous with the situation. The transition in tone from that we have already examined to that addressed to the heathen at Iconium or to that at Athens, is most marked. When we come to the later speeches addressed to the Jews, to Felix, and to Agrippa, what we notice at once as very extra- ordinary is the repetition of the narrative of the conversion. Now that is comprehensible on the supposition that the narrative was repeated on two occasions, but is not so if we are dealing with rhetorical exercises. But St. Luke was, on our supposition, with St. Paul during all these events, and would therefore have accurate knowledge. These speeches then, although written in the author's style, are clearly authentic ; and we may argue in the same way about the other speeches, all of which are, in different ways, suitable to the occasion on which they claim to have been delivered.